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News in brief 01/07/16

New Tamar AD plant opens its doors

Tamar Energy’s new anaerobic digestion (AD) facility in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire has begun accepting food waste, which will be supplied by household collections in Essex, as well as commercial and industrial clients from the region.

The facility will recycle up to 66,000 tonnes of food waste a year, generating up to three megawatt hours (MWh) of renewable energy, enough to power 6,000 homes, as well as producing a biofertiliser for agricultural use.

Dean Hislop, Tamar’s Chief Executive, said: “Our new Hoddesdon plant is gearing up to process high volumes of food waste, which few other AD facilities are able to offer.

“The Hoddesdon plant’s accessible location, long opening hours and network of complementary sister plants [mean] that Tamar offers a reliable, cost-effective service to local authorities and businesses looking to manage their organic waste in the most responsible way.

“AD is the cost-effective choice for recycling unavoidable food waste and is also a transparent way for local authorities and businesses to showcase their green credentials, something that’s increasingly important in today’s working environment.”

Tamar currently operates four other AD plants in the UK, situated in Essex, Lincolnshire, Hampshire and Nottinghamshire.

Grundon Waste Management supports new cycle safety campaign

Grundon's Peter Kent explains some of the key safety features to Cllr Rosslyn Lester

Grundon Waste Management demonstrated examples of road safety technology and good practice with waste collection vehicles at the Wallingford Festival of Cycling in Oxfordshire on Sunday (26 June).

At the festival, sponsored by Grundon, cyclists from as far afield as the Isle of Man, Portsmouth and Peterborough and drivers from Grundon Waste Management signed a pledge committing to good behaviour, safe cycling and safe driving as part of a new a new cycle safety campaign.

Those attending the festival got the opportunity to take a close up look at the technology that Grundon has installed on its vehicles. The Mayor of Wallingford, Councillor Rosslyn Lester, and chairman of South Oxfordshire District Council, Councillor Paul Harrison, were present, and both sat inside the vehicles to experience the difficulties drivers face due to the limited visibility from the vehicle cabs.

Andrew Short, Grundon’s Estates Director, said: “It was a fabulous and very well run day, so thanks must go to the organisers. As a cyclist, safety is very close to both my heart and also to Grundon’s, and it was a great opportunity to show off all the fantastic technology, such as 360-degree cameras and side scanners, that we use to help keep both cyclists and other road users safe.”

UK’s first foot pedal-operated Bigbelly smart station installed in London

City of London's Transportation and Public Realm Director, Steve Presland and Egbert Taylor Group's Liz Carroll by St Paul's Cathedral

Street bin manufacturer Bigbelly has installed its first foot pedal-operated smart station by St Paul's Cathedral in London.

The company says that the unit is deemed to be a ‘practical solution’ and hopes that it will increase recycling through removing the barriers that had previously prevented members of the public from using recycling stations.

The foot-pedal has been designed to reduce hygiene concerns for users that are reluctant to touch handles to lift the lid of bin units. The foot-pedal also seeks to improve accessibility as it increases usability for children and those with a disability.

The unit has a rigid plastic wheeled liner that allows collection operatives to take it out and wheel it to the collection vehicle to be emptied, while the increased capacity of the unit also reduces the number of required collections and therefore reduces costs.

Following closure of steelworks, Hartlepool business starts exporting scrap steel to Europe

Joe Denham and son John Denham

Metal recycling company J Denham Metals, based in Wingate near Hartlepool, has exported its first bulk shipment to a steel works in mainland Europe, having secured an export facility at Redcar Bulk Terminal. The move follows the closure of the majority of Teeside Steelworks in 2015, which was a major blow to local scrap metal dealers.

The export material consists of scrap steel from engineering and manufacturing facilities across the region.

John Denham, of J Denham Metals, said: “The development of bulk shipments will see some additional direct employment for us and significant indirect employment with our regional partners involved in the supply chain.” Ten new jobs have been created: two within J Denham Metals and eight with the firm’s sub-contractors.

The company is also currently loading scrap steel for export to steel mills in Asia. It said that it began to invest in facilities that allow for diversification into overseas markets once it identified the end user of the scrap steel is increasingly more likely to be overseas, rather than in the UK.